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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. scale — in music
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. object — to protest
  9. vault — a safe
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. scale — size or range
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. object — an aim
  14. cue — for pool
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. cue — a hint
  19. stem — to come from
  20. content — happy
  21. foot — a measure
  22. object — a thing
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. cue — a signal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com